February 15, 2016

Owners of solar energy businesses in Maine, and people
supporting solar power, say they are worried the Legislature could take away a
law that helps pay for those systems.

Solar owners can sell some of their electricity into the
grid, through a process called “net metering”.

Those rules determine how much utilities will pay for that
power and how much they will buy.

The Legislature is trying to come up with a new set of rules
governing solar energy, including sales into the grid. But solar businesses and
customer say they’re afraid net metering could be taken away.

On Thursday, those business leaders presented 4,000 petition
signatures to the Legislature, asking to protect net metering.

One customer said that without the law, he would not be able
to sell excess electricity and would face a far longer time period to pay for
the cost of his solar system through savings.

Rep. Sara Gideon of Freeport, who is leading the effort to
write a new solar law, told NEWS CENTER the law is being designed to encourage
more use of solar power.

She says current users of net metering will be protected,
and that a new system could provide more incentives than the present one.

However, solar business owners say they have not been given
any details of the proposed law, and don’t want to lose the one state program
they say is encouraging solar development.

Rep. Gideon says the language for the new law should be
completed in the next two weeks, and will need to go through hearings and votes
in the Legislature.